Caspar Bartholin the Elder facts for kids
Caspar Bartholin the Elder (born February 12, 1585 – died July 13, 1629) was a very smart Danish person. He was a doctor, a scientist, and a religious scholar. He was known for his amazing brain and for writing an important book about the human body.
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The Amazing Life of Caspar Bartholin
Caspar Bartholin was born in Malmø, Denmark. This city is now part of Sweden. He was incredibly smart from a very young age. When he was only three years old, he could already read!
A Young Genius
By the time he was thirteen, Caspar was writing speeches. He wrote them in both ancient Greek and Latin. He even gave these speeches in public! This showed how talented he was.
His Journey to Knowledge
Around age eighteen, Caspar went to the University of Copenhagen. He then studied at other famous universities. These included the University of Rostock and the University of Wittenberg.
After his studies, Caspar traveled a lot. He visited countries like Germany, the Netherlands, England, France, and Italy. People at the universities he visited were very impressed by him.
A Change in His Path
In 1613, Caspar became a professor of medicine. He taught at the University of Copenhagen for eleven years. Then, he became very sick. He made a promise that if he got better, he would only study theology (the study of religion).
He did recover and kept his promise. He later taught theology at the university. He also became a canon, which is a type of priest, in Roskilde.
His Important Book
Caspar Bartholin wrote a very important book. It was called Anatomicae Institutiones Corporis Humani. This book was published in 1611. For many years, it was a standard textbook for learning about anatomy. Anatomy is the study of the human body's structure. He was also the first to describe how the olfactory nerve works. This nerve helps us smell!
Caspar's Family
Caspar Bartholin was married to Anna Fincke. Her father, Thomas Fincke, was a famous mathematician.
A Family of Scholars
Caspar had three sons who also became scholars. They were Bertel Bartholin (1614–1690), Thomas Bartholin (1616–1680), and Rasmus Bartholin (1625–1698). His grandson, Caspar Bartholin the Younger (1655–1738), also became an anatomist. It seems being smart ran in the family!
Caspar Bartholin the Elder passed away on July 13, 1629. He died in Sorø, which is in Zealand, Denmark.
His Published Works
- Anatomicae Institutiones Corporis Humani (1611) – This was his famous book about human anatomy.
